Tabitha Wasserman, thank you for reading and for your excellent points!

“We’re all being told we’re the wrong size” could not be a more succinct truth. And your insight into the marketing perfectly explains the motive — “how much money would fashion magazines make off their adverts if they were telling us all we’re already perfect how we are and we don’t need to create illusions about looking a different shape or size than we are?”

Exacula. This is why heel height and width, pant length, dress shape and color schemes change every season — to keep us buying. If we’re already in style we don’t need to buy as much.

I forgot that our bodies are styles too. From Marilyn Monroe to Audrey Hepburn to Twiggy to Cindy Crawford to the Kardashians we (and our wallets) are always chasing one idealized aesthetic or another.

And I edited to add my favorite “men like meat” personal story. Thank you for the reminder!